Frantically taking notes in her first chemical engineering class at Carnegie Mellon, Alexandra Cerny is worried. As a chemical and biomedical engineering freshman, she knows the material being presented is vital, both for her major and future career, but she’s not getting it. When the first exam is returned, the low grade validates what she already suspects—she needs help. So she heads to Carnegie Mellon’s Academic Development Office and requests a tutor to meet with weekly.
Cerny learned about Academic Development during freshman orientation. Covering more than 34 subjects, Academic Development offers walk-in tutoring most nights of the week and in Fall 2013 provided 390 standing tutoring appointments. The tutors are all specially trained students who have a solid understanding of the subject.
Cerny is paired with a senior chemical engineering student, and they meet regularly. At semester’s end, Cerny goes home for winter break and eagerly awaits her grades. When she sees her chemical engineering grade, she screams. After such a difficult start, the “A” on her screen is a huge payoff for her hard work. But what satisfies her most is her newfound confidence and the feeling of preparedness for her future as an engineer.
Then, a few days later, Cerny receives an email from Academic Development, inviting her, based on her academic performance, to apply for a job as a tutor. She does and is hired to become an academic counselor, focusing on study skills and learning methods.
Cerny is far from the only one to realize the excellence and importance of the Academic Development program. The National Tutoring Association, the oldest and largest organization dedicated to tutoring, recently honored the program with the Excellence Award at the University Level.
